February 28, 2023 | 0 Comments

HALLEY GREG – STRAITJACKET is at Top 200 Radio Now!!!

You may remember this Seattle artist from her album I worked in 2021, American Harlot. Or maybe you remember her from her appearance as a contestant on The Voice that same year! This new record, Straitjacket, is coming in hot! Can’t wait for you to hear it, if you haven’t yet. Fiercely feminist, playful, sassy, cathartic, political, personal: this album’s got everything! Including a couple of swears, but never fear: clean edits are included in the download link. I did also have some hard copies of this one, but a few less than I’d ideally prefer, so if you can’t find one in your physical mailbox, and you haven’t yet, take a look back in that email inbox (or hit me up, if you’re a radio station rep) for that link!

HALLEY GREG

STRAITJACKET

Self-Released

Seattle singer-songwriter Halley Greg first rose to acclaim during the blind auditions on Season 20 of The Voice. John Legend called her slowed-down, piano ballad version of Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird” “poetic” and “beautifully crafted,” and the performance earned her a spot on Team Kelly. Her appearance on the show coincided with the release of her debut album, American Harlot, a feminist rebranding of the pop/rock albums of the early 2000s. Filled with distorted guitar solos and pithy pop vocal melodies, the album is an ode to angry women everywhere. The first line from the title track of that album exemplifies Greg’s brand of sultry, cutthroat sass: “Welcome home dear / Take off your shoes / I’ll massage your feet and your ego, too.”

While American Harlot mostly confines Greg’s anger to personal epithets, her sophomore release, recorded with Eric Lilavois at London Bridge Studios (Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band), is a critique and catharsis of America’s current political climate. Aptly titled Straitjacket, the album takes on issues from gun rights to toxic masculinity. Greg’s pure and ethereal voice cuts through raucous guitar riffs, while her lyrics are so thick with social critique they’re almost punk. Think the clarity of Regina Spektor, the whistle tones of Mariah Carey, the attitude of No Doubt, and the arrangements of Paramore.

Suggested track on Straitjacket: “I’ll Be Your Demon.” Listen in those moments when you’re so frustrated you’re about to explode. It’ll make you want to wave your arms around your kitchen like one of those inflatable people outside car dealerships. As you do, you’ll create a protective aura around yourself your enemies can’t penetrate.